The Death of Seireitei
by dragon94
Summary: All is lost. There is no hope left. How did things turn out this way? Please R&R!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own bleach or any of the characters.

A/N: This is my first fanfic. Each chapter will be from the point of view of a captain or other main character (I will write their name in bold at the top of the chapter). This does _not_ have the espada, or follow the Hueco Mundo arc. It is my own idea of how the battle between soul society and Aizen is fought.

Prologue:

**Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni**

They all fell. Ranked officer or former ryoka or exiled captain, quincy or human or shinigami, soldier or healer, they all fell. Each in their own way, and in their own time. The few that remain will fall. I, the commander, will be last. I, too, in the end will fall.

I stand before the gravestones of the deceased. Soon, I too will fall. Aizen is waiting. Now, as I gaze over the walls of Seireitei, I can see him. Standing outside the walls, where Rukongai once stood, biding his time until I, the last obstacle before he truly stands in heaven, go to face him. I will not succeed.

I look back once more at our once peaceful city. It is still beautiful, and the Shrine of Penitence still stands in its glory at the center. This was the place that we all fought to protect. This is the place that thousands have given their lives for.

After he takes over soul society, Aizen will travel to the human world. The arrancar and the menos will utterly destroy cities and people alike. The world will have ended. Nothing will remain.

The few shinigami left alive stand along the battlements, waiting. Everything is waiting. Everything is silent. The entire world seems to be holding its breath before what must be the end. The cause is hopeless. And yet we still are on the alert, looking for the enemy, and yet we still prepare to fight. We will all fight until the end. Then we will die.

That day still remains fresh in my mind. The day when Aizen acquired the Hougyoku. That was the day that we truly failed. In our inability to see through his deceit and trickery, we sealed our own fate, and the fate of all three dimensions, human, Hueco Mundo, and Soul Society. Even then, had we been faster, the Menos might not have been able to rescue him. Then was our last chance to defeat him.

We made one attempt for peace. Three were sent. None returned. They were 2nd Division Vice Captain Ohmaeda Marechiyo, 9th Division Vice Captain Hisagi Shuuhei and 4th Division Vice Captain Kotetsu Isane. Soon afterward, 12th Division Vice Captain Kurotsuchi Nemu disappeared. Nobody knew for sure what happened to any of them, but that was Aizen's declaration of war.


	2. The Beginning

Disclaimer: I AM KUBO TITE! I OWN BLEACH!

Seriously now, did you believe me? I didn't think so either. No, I don't really own bleach.

A/N: I'm planning to write up one or two chapters every week if at all possible. Just one more chapter before we get into the action…just please bear with me. Thanks to Hassun for reviewing!

The Beginning:

**Kurosaki Ichigo**

I woke up in the early morning to a beeping noise. That is, the beeping noises of a very familiar cell phone. It was more muffled now than it used to be, since it came from the room next door instead of my closet. It usually meant that another annoyance had come. And yet, when I glanced at my substitute shinigami badge, the eyes didn't glow like they usually did when a hollow was detected.

I heard feet running down the hall, then the door to my room was thrown open. Of course, it was Rukia. I sat up.

My first reaction was that she could go and take care of the hollow herself. Why need bother me?

Then I realized that she looked very different from a usual order from Soul Society, and she actually looked scared. One word from her explained it all.

"Aizen."

Oh crap. Oh SHIT. That guy spooked me even now, half a year since we got back from Soul Society. He could take down other captains in one blow without even _chanting_. And this phone call meant he was finally making his move.

"They say that they can attack and create a pathway to western Rukongai at noon. Urahara-san will open the Zenkaimon. We are to find any help we can, and meet at the shop at half past eleven."

"Create a pathway? Aizen already has taken over Rukongai?"

"It seems so. His purpose right now seems to be to destroy Seireitei, so all the souls in Rukongai have temporarily evacuated. The other shinigami plan to make a sortie so that we can get inside."

"So we have three and a half hours. I'll go tell Ishida, you find Chad and Inoue. Meet back here in an hour."

"Understood." Rukia left through the window.

I stretched and got up. I dressed as fast as I could, then I ran downstairs and out the door as fast as I could, ignoring the cries of "Ichi-nii!" and "Eat your breakfast!" Ishida was usually at school early, so I went to find him there. As soon as I saw him, I grabbed his shoulder and dragged him behind some bushes.

"What is it now, Kurosaki?" he asked

"Aizen."

The word seemed to make an impression upon him just as it did with me. His eyes widened.

"We meet at the Urahara shop at half past eleven. Try to find as much help as you can."

"I'll be there."

My part of the job done, I went to class. Inoue and Chad weren't in class, so I assumed Rukia had contacted them. I told sensei that they were probably just sick.

**Ishida Uryuu**

"Try to find as much help as you can."

Unfortunately, that would mean my father, Ishida Ryuuken. His going to soul society and fighting _alongside_ shinigami would happen perhaps after the world ended, and only then. But I didn't have much choice. I walked to his clinic, trying to decide exactly what to say.

I entered his office.

"Why aren't you in school, Uryuu?" he glanced up.

"Soul society is under attack by Aizen Sousuke. He is commanding an army of hollow. They want any help they can get." I explained unhurriedly.

He pushed back his chair and stood up. "And I suppose you think I would be willing to go."

I noticed the danger and tried to extricate myself from a potentially disastrous situation. "No, but I thought you would want to know that the entire world is in danger. I also thought you might want to know where I was going, and that there will be nobody to defend people against any hollows that might appear in Karakura because almost everybody who is capable of combating hollows is going to Soul Society."

"Very well then. I will not stop you, Uryuu. But I will not lower myself like you have, to associate with the shinigami." He sat down and resumed his work. I took the hint and left for the meeting place.

**Kuchiki Rukia**

Finding Sado and Inoue was a relatively simple task, as they both were in their homes. Since they both lived alone, it would be easier for them to leave than it would for Ichigo. All it took was _his_ name for them to drop what they were doing and come running out the door.

I wondered whether to tell Tatsuki-chan or not. She would probably worry if Inoue went missing for a while, and she also seemed to have some amount of spirit energy, so she might become targeted by stray hollow. Since we were all going to Soul Society, there would be nobody to protect her or any others that were attacked.

Inoue, however, solved the problem for me by saying "I've already explained to Tatsuki about shinigami and the whole problem, she can cover for us in school."

So we began the trek to the shop.

**Kurosaki Ichigo**

About halfway through class, I realized we had missed a group of very powerful beings. So I dashed out the door and went to pay the Vizards a visit.

Standing outside the barrier, I let my spirit energy leak for a moment. That was far more effective than ringing a doorbell. They took the barrier down and I walked into the building.

"Ichigo!" Hirako looked at me. "What brings you here?"

"Aizen has attacked soul society."

"Well that wouldn't be too good for us either if he succeeds."

"No, I didn't think it would." If the Vizards came, he would decide that without my pestering him. After our short conversation, I went back out.

The walk to the Urahara shop was uneventful. When I got there, I found Rukia, Chad, Inoue and Ishida already waiting there. Urahara-san was there as usual, and Yoruichi was in her human form.

"So shall we get going?" I was impatient to set off and find out what was happening on the other side.

"We're still waiting on somebody."

"Who?" Rukia, Chad, Inoue, Ishida, Urahara and Yoruichi were all in front of me. Who else was there?

"You'll see."

The door slid open. "Sorry I'm late, Kisuke." A familiar face appeared. A VERY familiar face. DAD was a shinigami??? "Oh, hi Ichigo!"

"Why the heck are you here?" then I noticed the shinigami robes. "And why the heck are you a shinigami?"

"Why else would you be a shinigami? Your mother certainly wasn't one."

Urahara and Yoruichi were the only ones that weren't surprised.

I never even expected that dad was a shinigami. But under the circumstances, not much shocked me any more. "Alrighty then, dad's also a guy who can see dead people. Let's get going."

Urahara led us down into the basement of his shop. He opened the Zenkaimon and we stepped through. Rukia had a hell butterfly, so we didn't have to deal with any trouble in the in-between dimension. As soon as we stepped through into Soul Society however, it was a world of chaos. Shinigami and hollow were fighting all around us.

As soon as we stepped through, a familiar voice called "They're through! Retreat!" Shinigami began pulling back toward Seireitei.

It looked bad, so we headed back toward Seireitei too. As soon as we entered the gate, it slammed shut behind us. We finally got a good look at our rescuer.

"Renji!" Rukia exclaimed.

"Hey! C'mon, there's a important meeting going on right now, they're waiting for you."

"Who? What?" Important meeting? Must be a meeting of captains or something.

"Oh, and they requested me to welcome Kurosaki Isshin, Urahara Kisuke and Shihounin Yoruichi back to Seireitei."

We followed Renji back into a building. Inside, all of the captains and vice captains were seated. In addition, Ikkaku and Yumichika were also there.

"Welcome back to Soul Society." Commander General Yamamoto sat on a chair upon a raised platform. "This time, we welcome you. To former captains Shihounin Yoruichi, Urahara Kisuke and Kurosaki Isshin, we apologize for your exile. We have decided that you were not to blame for that incident and that it was our misjudgment. We beg you to help us against Aizen."

"Sure, of course we'll help." Dad was the one who responded.

"Thank you. It has also been decided that should you consent, you will reassume your former roles."

"What about the current captains?"

"Captain Soifon has already agreed to work as Shihounin-san's Vice Captain. Former Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri is no longer a captain, as he has locked himself in a laboratory to attempt to create a better version of Kurotsuchi Nemu, who has disappeared and is thought to be dead. He will no longer fight, and is essentially useless to us for now. Former Captain Aizen has betrayed us, leaving his seat, your former seat, empty too."

"Sounds good to us."

"Again, thank you. Please take a seat."

**Hitsugaya Toushiro**

Cushions were brought out, and everybody sat down. "There are also a few other changes we would like to make. Firstly, upon request of 10th Division Captain Hitsugaya Toushiro, Hinamori Momo is transferred to the 10th Squad as Vice Captain."

Hinamori looked surprised. She glanced at me. I kept my face expressionless. If she were with me, Aizen would have a much harder time getting at her.

"Matsumoto Rangiku is therefore commanded to take over as captain of 3rd Division."

Again, surprise, and in this case happiness at her promotion. _Fool!_ I wanted to tell her. Being higher ranked meant you were more likely to die in a war situation.

"Iba Tetsuzaemo will return to the 11th Division as 4th seat."

Komamura spoke softly, but we could all hear him. "I will open Tousen's eyes myself. I wish to face him alone."

Tousen was Komamura's closest friend, so I could understand his sentiment.

"9th Division now is leaderless. Tousen has deserted, and former Vice Captain Hisagi Suuhei is missing, presumed dead. We have spread many of the former 9th division members among the other divisions, and we have also selected a few from each division to join the 9th division. We would ask that Kurosaki Ichigo assume command of 9th division as captain."

Kurosaki looked surprised and clueless. Fortunately, Kuchiki-san took charge. She nudged him.

"He accepts." She spoke for him.

"Good. Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji have both been chosen to act as the vice captains of the division. The other former ryoka also may choose to join that division."

Nobody expected that. First for Kurosaki to become a captain, then to transfer two powerful shinigami to server under him was unheard of. Then again, an attack of this scale against Seireitei was unheard of anyway, as was a human who had achieved bankai and could defeat captains.

"This meeting is adjourned."

**Kuchiki Rukia**

Something like this happens, and Ichigo the idiot just sits there dumbfounded, so of course I have to step in and save his reputation and image. As we walked out of the building, Renji and I were presented new arm badges denoting us as Vice Captains of the 9th Squad. Ichigo was also presented with a captain's cloak, which they thoughtfully made the same style as his father's.

"Ichigo. We should go meet your division." That was the obvious thing to do.

"Huh? Oh, right."

"And make a good impression. Impressions are important." Renji had more experience with a seated rank than I did.

"Okay then."

Most of Seireitei was milling around outside the building. They were clearly staying in groups by squad. The captains all headed to their respective squads, 2nd, 5th and 12th squads being especially surprised.

"Ichigo. That's the 9th squad over there." Renji pointed out a group of people.

We walked over to the squad. Noticing Ichigo's captain cape, whispers immediately started.

I heard, "Who the hell is he?"

"Idiot! He's the leader of the ryoka that attacked a few months back."

"He looks pathetic. I'm not following him."

"Are you serious? This is the guy is the guy who beat Kenpachi and Byakuya!"

"What? Really?"

"Hey listen up! We're the new guys in charge." Renji shouted over the hubbub. "This is your new captain Kurosaki Ichigo!"

So he met his new squad. They introduced themselves; he introduced himself, Ishida, Sado and Inoue. They showed him the squad's barracks, and we moved in. Then the six of us, four former ryoka and two shinigami, met in the captain's room and caught up on what had happened. Renji filled us in with the details of the war so far.

"So Ichigo, how come you get to be the captain?" Renji laughed. "Whatever you did, it worked."

"Congratulations Ichigo!" Inoue grinned at him.

"Hey Ichigo, this doesn't mean we're letting you boss us around, you know." Just because he was now my commanding officer didn't mean I was going to let him tell me what to do.

The door slid open. "So, my son's a captain now."

"Ah! Kurosaki Isshin-san!" We stood to greet him.

"All settled in? Good. If you ever need anything, just come over to the 5th squad barracks and we'll help you."

And so we joined the shinigami in the war against Aizen.


	3. The 11th Division

Disclaimer: If I were Kubo Tite, I wouldn't be writing **fan** fiction now, would I? No, I would be producing more manga each week.

A/N: I don't like the last chapter very much, so someday I might go back and revise it again. Zanpakutou releases and Kidou are in italics.

It's been a while and life is getting busier. I'll probably write a chapter every two weeks or so until school's out, then I'll either write one every week or not write at all (depending on how much access to computers I have and whether I'm traveling or not).

Thanks to Hassun, Quill Pen and Ink, TeZukAb0ch0u and Wiwe for reviewing!

11th Division: The Battle Division

**Zaraki Kenpachi**

Captains meetings. How boring. But this time, the old man tells us we get to fight Aizen and his army!

We beat 'em back once, after Ichigo and his band showed up. That time slaughtered them, but Shihounin said they were only "testing the waters", or some human phrase like that. Yamamoto said they would attack again.

And as he promised, they came right to us. They came through some sort of gate thing that opened in the sky. It reminded me of a Zenkaimon, except it went to the hollow world instead of the human. Of course, I set up my division right in front of the gate. And they started coming through. Hundreds, even thousands of hollow started pouring through the gate.

I started carving my way right through them, Yachiru watching from over my shoulder. She wouldn't fall. Each swing of my sword destroyed at least two hollow. I saw the rest of my squad fighting them too; Ikkaku stabbing and slashing at them with his released Houzukimaru; Iba slashing with his own sealed blade; and Yumichika dodging and swiping with his oddly shaped Fujikujaku.

Soon, however, the shinigami began to fall. Each time I glanced at my squad, it was smaller, and there were more bodies on the ground. They were being driven back. There were many more hollow than we thought, and they outnumbered us by far.

"Fall back! We'll hold them off for now, find reinforcements!" Iba called for a retreat.

"We" was translated as me, Yachiru, Ikkaku, Iba and Yumichika. We'd carve through Hollow of this strength in no time. Yachiru didn't even bother to fight against these weaklings. Too bad there weren't any stronger enemies though, these hollow were barely even worth my time.

Then the hollow withdrew. They backed through the gate. During the lull in the fighting, the four of us fighters gathered back to back, Yachiru still hanging behind me. Then came the adjuchas. Somebody once told me that out of the three classes of Menos, the adjuchas were in the middle. They had the power of a Vice Captain or so.

Twelve adjuchas, then one more, their commander. A Vasto Lorde. At least as powerful as a captain. As they charged us, I swiped at one of the adjuchas. It tried to resist, but my sword sliced right through it. Six more charged us, while the other five tried to fire kidou. The first adjucha had underestimated us. The others wouldn't; they drew their swords, revealing that they were Arrancar.

The kidou didn't even make it past my reitatsu, but the ones closer to us were more of a problem. I pushed one back with my blade, but it ducked and slashed at me. A pink blur brushed past me and the arrancar fell. Where it had just been stood Yachiru, holding her sword with both hands.

Smiling, she said "Ken-san! Now there are strong enemies! Yippie!"

I grinned at the pink haired girl. "Yeah."

We engaged them. Yachiru pounced and jumped like a cat, swinging her sword with both hands. The blade alone of her sword was as long as she was tall. Her size made most people underestimate her, and the length of her sword allowed her to hold her own against most opponents.

Ikkaku, Iba and Yumichika were pushed back by the four arrancar that they fought. Six more surrounded Yachiru and me, searching for an opening. The three of them all had severe wounds.

"Looks like I'll have to use it. Hold them off until it reaches full power, will ya?" What the heck was Ikkaku talking about?

"_Houzukimaru – Bankai."_

Ikkaku had bankai? I was already itching to fight him again.

"I'll use my trump too." Yumichika?

"_Fujikujaku – Shikai"_

Energy began to flow from the arrancar to Yumichika. The arrancar began to falter and fall, but the strain on Yumichika was obviously also hurting him. A single slash, and Iba fell upon his knees. He took another, meant for Yumichika, before collapsing against the ground. Two arrancar collapsed against the ground, their energy completely drained. Yumichika's body, however, was obviously not designed to hold the power of three reitatsu forces of tat magnitude at the same time. He also fell.

Ikkaku growled, "Finally!"

A red dragon had appeared upon his gigantic blade. "One for Iba, and one for Yumichika. DIE!" Ikkaku was clearly furious for his fallen comrades. Then I was forced to turn back to my own fight. I spitted two more arrancar on my sword, and Yachiru beheaded one. A quick slash took care of one more, and then I glanced back at Ikkaku.

One of the adjucha had fallen to his blade, and the other was clearly losing. He sliced the adjucha in half with a swift stroke. But then, the Vasto Lorde made his move. Ikkaku, sensing it, brought his gigantic blade up just barely in time to block the Vasto Lorde's sword. They traded a few blows, but the arrancar pushed him back. One final stab, and it was over, Ikkaku falling to the ground.

Yachiru finished off the last two adjucha fighting us. I charged the last remaining arrancar, their leader. I grinned wolfishly as I fought him. He was a hard opponent. A slash that would have sent most shinigami flying was merely blocked by him, and riposted. I could tell that we were even. I tore off my eye patch.

We hacked away at each other, each landing a few blows upon the other. It was fun! FUN! **FUN!** It had been a while since I had a fight this enjoyable, ever since my fight with Ichigo. I hacked and slashed as much and as hard as I could. I slowly drove him backward. We fought in silence, his face contorted in concentration and mine grinning in exhilaration. Then, pain. I could dimly feel a sword through my chest. The world was getting fuzzy.

"Ken-san!" Yachiru's voice sounded far away. "You hurt Ken-san!" She charged the arrancar. As she ran, even I, who couldn't sense reitatsu at all, could visibly see the energy. The sheer ferocity of her attack pushed him back. Her long blade slashed and swiped at him, putting him completely on the defensive. One vertical strike, a riposte and a stab reached her target. Her blade went through his chest, several inches of steel appearing through the other side of his body.

As the hollow fell to the ground, I saw them as I lay there. And, as if in slow motion, I saw the arrancar swing his sword upward and strike her once before falling still. It felt to me like I had been the one stabbed. She collapsed, a little girl upon a battlefield.

I thought back to the first time we met. Upon a battlefield, in which I was the only survivor. Her hand touched my blood soaked blade, covering itself in blood. Then she smiled, waving to me with a bloodstained hand. That was the time I gave her the name "Yachiru".

Names. One of the three things I regretted in my life. I, who was nameless, should have understood the importance of names more than anybody else. And yet, I had never asked my sword for it's name, and I had never been able to hear it. The day I got my name, and the day Yachiru got hers was a turning point in our entire lives. It became a thing to be recognized by, to be respected by. And yet, I never learned the name of my blade. My blade, the second most important thing to me in the world, would never be recognized, would never be respected, as it should.

The second thing I regretted. Yachiru. What was I thinking, bringing a little girl to a world of fighting and death? And yet I did, bringing her with me to Seireitei, and this was how she ended up – dying because of me. She trusted me, and I ended up being the cause of her death.

And the third. I never got to thank _her_, for all the times she patched me up when I got holes stuck into me.

She crawled toward me. "I beat him Ken-san!" but her voice whispered, and didn't have her usual energy behind it.

"Aye. You did good, Yachiru." I frowned, seeing that she was losing blood quickly.

"Ken-san, it's over, isn't it?"

"Yes it is."

"It was fun." she smiled, and I thought of the thing we held most in common, our love for fighting.

"Yeah, it was." The world went fuzzy again. She reached me and put her head on my shoulder as if it were a pillow. "They won't be waking up any time soon."

**Hitsugaya Toushiro**

And that was how we found them. The giant man lying there, wounded and scarred, and a little girl with pink hair resting her head against his shoulder.

Unohana tried her hardest. She used every method she could think of to heal them. And yet, she was unable to. With a face full of sadness, she proclaimed that they had passed on. The 4th Division moved on to treat the injured. Most of the eleventh division was dead, including Kenpachi, Yachiru, Ikkaku, Iba and Yumichika.

I could feel her pain. Countless times she had patched him up, for he was, out of all the shinigami in Seireitei, the one who was injured most because of his recklessness. I knew the feeling of helplessness, when one could do nothing except watch. I knew too well the feeling of leaning against the doorway, watching Hinamori in her coma. There was no emotion worse than that of being unable to help and protect those one cares about.

I could tell, even as their squads always fought, Unohana always worried about Kenpachi. After he fought Ichigo, I had watched her rushing to Kenpachi as fast as she could. And in return, I found that his squad never said a word about the 4th squad's captain, as much as they insulted the rest of the squad. In both worlds, human and spirit, there were only two people Kenpachi allowed to boss him around. Yachiru, and Unohana.

War was a terrible thing. I could feel the other squads gathering. Some wept, but most looked on with composed faces. This was war. War, the terrible thing that took lives and destroyed things. War, which never created anything, and only tore things apart. Hinamori, standing behind me, shook as she sobbed at the sight of Yachiru.

"Hitsugaya." Unohana reminded me.

The fourth division, which usually took care of healing and burials, had their hands full during the war. I had volunteered to take over burial duty during the war.

"I know." I unsheathed my sword. I paused for a moment as I felt a powerful reitatsu appear behind me.

"Hold on a second, Toushiro" no respect from Kurosaki, as usual. He walked in front of Kenpachi's body.

"Hey Kenpachi. Just one thing I want to tell you. Thanks for that fight we had."

I nodded to him as he stepped aside.

"_Frozen in death – Hyourinmaru"_

A wave of ice spread from my blade, covering the two of them. Kenpachi and Yachiru, Captain and Vice Captain. Soon, a block of ice completely incased them. They would be eternally frozen there, unmovable and untouchable. His hand still gripped his sword, which was jagged and chipped. Yachiru's blade lay next to her, with its tip by her head and the hilt at her feet, a long, straight blade to contrast with her captain's. Upon the side of the block was engraved:

**11th Division Captain Zaraki Kenpachi. 11th Division Vice Captain Kusajishi Yachiru. They rose from the bottom of Rukongai to the top of Seireitei. He died for his love of fighting. She died to avenge his death. They met on a battlefield in one of the lowest parts of Soul Society, and they died on a battlefield in one of the highest. They will always be thanked and remembered.**


End file.
